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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk once shared his thoughts on the age-old Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate. Having played against both legends at various levels, Van Dijk judged them as the tougher opponent in his take.
In terms of numbers, Virgil van Dijk has faced Lionel Messi three times in his career. These include the two semi-final legs of the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League when Messi's Barcelona clashed against Van Dijk's Liverpool. The season is well remembered for the Catalan side's 4-3 aggregate loss to the Reds, despite phenomenal performances from Messi in both legs. Van Dijk's third and most recent clash against the Argentine superstar came in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals when Argentina won against the Netherlands.
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In light of his experience, Virgil Van Dijk alluded to Liverpool's UCL clash against Barcelona in 2019, while choosing Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo as the tougher opponent. He said (via The Mirror):
"I would say Messi, he’s still the best football player in the world. Him and Cristiano [Ronaldo] have been doing unreal numbers in the last decades and it’s incredible what they have achieved. But in this case I will choose Messi, we had a tough night at Barcelona [in 2019]."
Meanwhile, Virgil Van Dijk has also played against Cristiano Ronaldo five times in his career, having won twice and lost thrice. Two of these games were international matches between Portugal and the Netherlands, including the UEFA Nations League final. The remaining were at the club level, including the 2018 Champions League final, where Ronaldo's Real Madrid beat Liverpool.
When Jurgen Klopp shared his take on the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate
In a 2018 interview (h/t SPORTBible), Jurgen Klopp shared his take on the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate in a unique way. The former Liverpool boss revealed:
"I have only one selfie on my smartphone. That is with Messi. Cristiano was in the room as well."
Klopp has never coached Messi or Ronaldo. However, he has faced both players during his coaching career. The German tactician was also appreciative of Messi after his historic triumph in the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina.
"Argentina deserved it and when you saw the team and the country celebrating, then it probably hit the right country in difficult times. I am really happy for them, they waited for a long time. The greatest footballer in my lifetime, Lionel Messi, the way he plays football in this age should give us all a hint at how long footballers can perform at the top level. We shouldn't close the books too early. It was a joy to watch him," Klopp said.
Despite having left European football around two years ago, both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remain among the best players in the world today. The legendary Argentine is focused on leading Inter Miami to the MLS Cup after winning the Supporters' Shield last season. Meanwhile, the Portuguese talisman is gearing up for another season with Al-Nassr after renewing his contract.
